As now a day our Sh'ites brothers are undertake from our side, theologically and physically , its our empirical duty to come for their support. Its the basic foundation of our faith that we needs to support the ones, who are 'under attack' from the wrong reasons. We hear day in and day out that Sh'ites are under attack , they are being bombed, picked up from buses, checked their ID cards and then the marks of matam on their back and then lined up and brutally slaughtered. do we know why? Just because their apporach and understanding of the religon doesnt synch with the majority. Its really shameful for all of us not to condemn these incidents with out the 'ifs and buts'.
Today is the day of A'shura ,in today changing pakistan its slowly becoming an exclusive sh'ites day. while few years ago it wasnt the case. We are pobably the last of the geenration which has witness the majority of the Sunnis some how taking very active part in commemorating Muharram and A'shura. Wussat Ullah Khan written very well today on bbc about that a worth reading piece. Sabeels , Jhoola, Taziya, Matam, DhulJinah, Manats, all were the common things between Sunnis and Sh'its brothers. But things are changing. new generation asking about the evidence of the all the above. I was thinking what are three main points we can get from the day of A'shura.
First thing what comes to my mind is standing against the oppression. I think this is the main point of all the struggle of Hazrat Imam Hussain [AS]. He could have easily done what all the other did at that time, ie remained silent or given an partial backing to the ba***rd. but he choose to take the step which was expected of his great character. For the not so practicing muslims like us , its a shining example that we MUST stand against all the oppression we see around us. I think oppression is not just tyrant rulers but it include all oppressions and discriminations based on gender, sex, colour and race and we must stand against it. we must need to oppose it.
Second lesson which i understand from the day of A'shura is the impotence of bonding between the Ahl Albyt and their friends. Imam Hussain [AS], his family members and friends all stayed together, fought together and gave a supreme sacrifice. Among them were from 6 months old to the 80+ years old, from men to women, from children to the old, from free to the slave and from muslims to christian. All fighting togther for a cause they all believed in. For the "Haq", they all cherished for. They were hungry together, they were thirsty together but none of them left Imam, none of them ran away from the obvious death. No one even turn his/her back from the battlefield. The Imam [AS] and family also reciprocate the love, respect and sacrifice of their companions. It was not just the friends who shed their bloods. Ahl Albyt also shed more if not equal blood on that day.
Third most important lesson i learn from day of A'shura is the importance of Patience and the role of women from family life to all the fields of life. We all talk/hear about the patience of the Ahl Albyt and their friends. They were the minaret of the patience. Imam Hussain [AS] was leading from the front. He [AS] collected the mutilated dead bodies of his sons, nephews , brother and friends, few of them were in pieces. But at every time he collected a dead body he will Thank Allah for the patience Allah has granted him during all that. It so much tragic that even 1400 years after the event people still cannot control their emotions while only listening to the event. Even the most of 'hard hearted' people cannot control their tears in their eyes. Role of women was also pivotal in the events of Karballa on day of A'shura. Women not just played important role during the events of Karballa but after that they were leading from the front. Specially bibi Zainab [AS] exclusive took leadership role of ,what was left over. Although Hazrat Zain Al-Abidein [AS] was there as well, but as he was ill, So bibi Zainab [AS] was the leading the Karavaan-e-Ahl-Albyt and was speaking and giving sermons on their behalf. if she wouldn't have been there , the story could have died or shoved into the footnotes of the history by the oppressors paid historians.
I think we, be it the sunnis or the sh'ites, must commemorate Muharram and tell the story to our kids so that tradition goes on and on. So that they know who was the hero in the history and who was the villain and what qualities make some one a hero.
